


In Love and War

by books4belle



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Character Study, F/F, Femslash, Light Angst, Multi, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-27
Updated: 2014-08-27
Packaged: 2018-02-15 01:17:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2210202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/books4belle/pseuds/books4belle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clarisse isn't sure how her life got this complicated, and she's not sure she likes it, but with war on the way, she'll take what happiness she can get. </p><p>Set just after "The Bronze Dragon," between BOTL and TLO</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Love and War

**Author's Note:**

  * For [paragonbrosca](https://archiveofourown.org/users/paragonbrosca/gifts).



“So Charlie finally asked me to go to the fireworks with him.” 

Clarisse’s stomach twisted slightly, but she kept her tone even as she responded, “Really? That’s good.”

She and Silena had escaped together to the western edge of the strawberry fields. Other campers hardly ever came this way and if the girls stayed down between the rows of plants, they couldn’t be seen from the stables. For years, they’d been sneaking away to this quiet spot to share secrets, cuddles and kisses. Today, though, they just lay together on their backs in the grass, Silena’s head resting on Clarisse’s stomach.

“I mean, I wish it hadn’t taken a myrmeke attack for him to work up his courage, but I’m glad all the same.” Silena turned her head, looking over at Clarisse with a smile. 

Clarisse managed to return the smile. It wasn’t as if she was surprised. Earlier in the summer, Silena had finally noticed Beckendorf’s long-standing crush on her. She’d been gently encouraging his affections since then. 

Apparently, Clarisse had taken too long to respond, because Silena rolled over onto her side and studied her friend’s face. “Hey, you okay?” 

Damn that girl. She’d always been too good at reading Clarisse’s emotions. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just, you know, everything.”

~~~

‘Everything’ wasn’t really an exaggeration. Things were never quiet at Camp Half-Blood. Fighting with monsters and defending the camp came easily to the daughter of war. But since she’d returned from Chiron’s mission, Clarisse felt like her life had been completely upended. In the labyrinth, she’d experienced true terror for the first time. Then she’d spent months nursing one of her dearest friends through life-threatening madness. Worst of all, when she’d tried to reach out to Silena for support, the daughter of Aphrodite had seemed distant. Distracted. 

When Clarisse began to sense her feelings for Chris changing from friendship to love, she panicked. This couldn’t be happening. The labyrinth had changed things so much already. She couldn’t risk losing the one person, the one thing in her life that had always made sense. The day Annabeth returned to camp alone, eyes red and swollen from crying, Clarisse couldn’t stand it anymore. She found Silena in the stables and collapsed in her arms, sobbing. 

Fortunately, seeing the daughter of Ares in such an unusually emotional state seemed to jarr Silena out of her strange mood. She held her best friend tightly, rubbing her back and smoothing her hair away from her face. 

“I just, I don’t understand,” Clarisse sniffed. “I love you. That hasn’t changed. But I love Chris too and I… It’s not possible to be in love with two people at the same time.”

“No?” Silena brushed a tear from Clarisse’s cheek. “I’m not so sure about that. Love can be a funny thing.”

Clarisse managed a watery smile. “Well if you of all people don’t understand love, I sure don’t have a chance.”

“Look,” Silena said gently, delicate arms wrapping around broad, sturdy shoulders, “Chris needs you right now. That’s where your focus needs to be. Who knows… ”

“Who knows if Chris will survive,” Clarisse finished bluntly. 

Silena shook her head, dismissing the idea. “When Mr. D gets back, when things are better, then we can figure out where to go from here.”

And they did. As one of the few people at camp who knew about Clarisse and Silena’s relationship, Chris understood Clarisse’s conflicted feelings and was more than willing to work with the girls to find a solution. She still wasn’t sure she was comfortable with all of this, but the thought of having to choose between Chris and Silena made her feel sick, so she supposed she’d have to deal. 

~~~

The way Clarisse saw it, considering what they’d been through over the last month, it was completely unfair for her to feel jealous of Beckendorf. But she did. Cautiously, she reached for Silena’s hand and laced their fingers together. “Are you going to tell him about us?”

Squeezing her hand, Silena nodded. “He needs to know if he’s going to be involved.” 

“And what if he’s not… I mean, what if he doesn’t…” Clarisse stumbled, not sure how to ask her question without sounding defensive.

Silena stopped her, shifting so she could lean down and press a kiss to Clarisse’s lips. “If he can’t accept that you are part of my life, then he’s not the right person for me.” 

A sense of relief flooded in to mingle with the lingering guilt. She lifted her head, pressing her forehead against Silena’s. “I’m sorry.”

Silena just shook her head. She kissed Clarisse again playfully as she sat up. “Face it, you’re stuck with me.” Silena returned to her original position, pillowing her head on Clarisse’s firm stomach as she quipped, “And no son of Hephaestus is going to change that, no matter how amazing his biceps are.” 

Clarisse ran her fingers through Silena’s dark hair. “I’m gonna hold you to that,” she murmured. 

The girls settled back into comfortable silence. They would have to return to camp soon. War was coming, and there were preparations to be made. But they allowed themselves a few more moments of peace, with the sun warm on their skin and the scent of strawberries all around.

**Author's Note:**

> Come visit me on [tumblr](http://goodforharpies.tumblr.com)


End file.
